Christine Langhoff, retired teacher in Massachusetts, writes:
The big news of the week of course, was the ruling by the MA Supreme Judicial Court that the cap on charters is constitutional. Coverage in the putative newspaper of record, The Boston Globe, sought to portray the decision as public schools and teachers hating on charters.
“The court fight escalated the long-running battle over charter schools, which are controversial because they do not have to be unionized, operate independently of local school districts, and are given more flexibility to set their curriculums, budgets, and staffing levels.”
Importantly, as Professor Cunningham points out, John Henry, The Globe’s owner and publisher, is Klarman’s business partner. Klarman, the billionaire hedge funder, contributed $3 million to the Yes on Question 2 faction. He also holds some $92 million in Puerto Rico’s debt, which bodes ill for the islanders as they face the impending, sweeping charterization of their public schools.
https://www.alternet.org/hedge-funder-puerto-rico-charter-schools
By contrast, Clive McFarlane, writing in the Worcester Telegram, unafflicted by allegiances among business partners, had this perspective:
“Mr. Nicolette (executive director of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association) and other supporters will continue to point to the charter schools that are doing well, while highlighting the traditional public schools that are struggling.
But they won’t tell you about the attrition rates of students attending charter schools, that the top 11 and 17 of the top 20 schools statewide with the highest attrition rates are charter schools.
They won’t tell you that the top seven schools with the highest dropout rates (ranging from 21 percent to 54 percent) in the state are charter schools.
They won’t tell you that the top nine schools in the state with the highest churn rate (the percent of students leaving and arriving during the school year) are charter schools.”
The interests of the elite make it clear that though decisive victories against the charter industry have been won, the proponents are not about to walk away.
So, though we’ve won three times in the struggle to keep our “best in the nation” public schools here in Massachusetts, don’t count the charteristas out. Seems there’s a lot of money riding on them.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Charter schools are drop out factories.
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You have landed on a highly charged, yet useful term for those that support public education. We should start calling charters with high attrition rates “dropout factories.” This term may capture the interest of the media and parents far more than schools with high rates of attrition.
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As well as “force-out factories.”
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I always wondered why so many people were rich off of public schools. the system is rigged to ensure that a class system is maintained in the United States. Rhee and all the rest of them laughing all the way to the bank
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Thank you, Diane!
By way of example, here’s a post from Tracy Novick’s excellent blog The Who’s of Who-cester, detailing the behind the scenes attempts to circumvent opposition to remove local control of schools while moving in the direction of privatization. The post contains many links, so it’s worth reading in its entirety.
“The one thing that the Empowerment Zone has had going for it right along, of course, is a stratospheric level of support from Governor Baker and Secretary Peyser, and an unparallel amount of press coverage (no, I’m not going to link. Go Google it if you like.). While one assumes this will not garner local press coverage (as it isn’t public) unless carefully selected, meeting with carefully selected “leaders” is of course precisely how one goes about circumventing the democratic–and public–process.
The one thing it hasn’t had is any results worth pointing to. Yeah, still.”
https://who-cester.blogspot.com/2018/04/if-youre-not-at-table-youre-on-menuand.html?spref=fb
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I re-posted Tracy’s quote in Commonwealth magazine: ……state backed policies have hindered many of the important programs and distorted others. They use “euphemisms” for what they are doing like “investments” “innovations”.
The only thing that the “charter” schools have proven across the many states is “grandma’s rule”: TIME ON TASK — just like practicing more piano or more basketball will give you better skills to play the piano or play basketball. Yet, the politicians (and especially Devos and Trump but Governor Baker also) don’t want to pay for the after-school programs or the necessary essentials of the resources that would provide more time per child during the school day, and instead, they are stripping the resources out of the schools…. one writer called it “gold mining in your own back yard”…
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Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education.
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“they ….operate independently of local school districts, and are given more flexibility to
set their curriculums, budgets, and staffing levels.lie, cheat, steal and abuse students and teachers.Fixed.
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” unless carefully selected, meeting with carefully selected “leaders” is of course precisely how one goes about circumventing the democratic–and public–process.” it’s happening, folks. Baker and his administration dangle some funds in front of the “leader” selected as vulnerable. It feels like extortion or blackmail to me personally because they have withheld funds and now dangle some dollars in order to get city to sign on (they target gateway cities like the one I live in). I got very depressed two weeks ago when it felt like we had lost the battle in my city. I will post the Globe article here….
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this was the reassurance I got when I called our state rep’s office. “So I know there was some confusion between Opportunity Zones and empowerment zones (charter school ploy). Opportunity zones are strictly economic development focused. I’m glad they didn’t just designate areas of metro Boston as zones. — again this is real estate and economic development focused.” When the State Auditor was here last summer she said to me “they are using euphemisms” and this is what I truly believe. The tax bill for the 1% passed and gave particular incentives … that is the Globe article I was referring to and I have to find it .. sorry it is taking me so long.
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Brookings alerted me to the Boston Globe article: “About 57 percent of the country’s neighborhoods meet the criteria to be designated an opportunity zone. Many worried that governors would select only those areas considered safe bets for investors. For example, notes The Boston Globe, neighborhoods in the Boston suburbs of Cambridge, Chelsea and Quincy have been designated as opportunity zones, even as investments in real estate have already been surging in recent years.
But an analysis by the Brookings Institution shows that most states designated deeply impoverished areas for the new subsidy. Of particular note, California and Georgia allocated most of their picks to their most distressed neighborhoods.”
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reference. https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2018/04/19/state-names-neighborhoods-opportunity-zones/xjJKGD4wvF5fkzOEnaRgaJ/story.html
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Brookings reference. https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-early-results-of-states-opportunity-zones-are-promising-but-theres-still-room-for-improvement/
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my rep is trying to reassure me; but I do NOT trust republican governor Baker…. Liz Farmer descries it in this way at Governing Magazine.
“these areas will be eligible for investment via “opportunity funds.” It works like this: Private investors who earn money selling stock would normally have to pay a capital gains tax on those earnings. But if they instead take those earnings and invest them in opportunity funds, they can defer taxes on those gains until 2026. What’s more, the longer they keep their investment in the fund, the bigger discount they get when they pay those taxes: up to 15 percent if they keep the investment through the end of 2026.
There’s another perk. If investors keep their money in an opportunity fund for at least 10 years, any additional money they make from their fund investment won’t be taxed. The idea is to encourage investors to invest for the long haul.
The program is the brainchild of the Economic Innovation Group, which first pushed the free-market idea three years ago in Washington, D.C. To EIG President John Lettieri, opportunity zones address some of the criticisms about prior tax credit programs in that they encourage long-term investment and put the financial risk on the investor. “Unlike other programs, there is no guarantee here,” he says. “If you have losses, there is no benefit. So, you’re not putting full the risk on the taxpayer, but you’re keeping it on investors.” reference for Liz Farmer to follow
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It is another tax avoidance or reduction strategy from hedge fund managers. They are experts at ferreting out loopholes and weaknesses in rules and laws to provide a better return to their already wealthy clients. Sometimes their lobby helps write the laws ensuring that loopholes are built in proposed legislation. Harry Reid recently explained that money is one of the reasons for gridlock in Congress. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reid-kerry-money-drives-partisanship-gridlock-in-congress/
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thanks, retired teacher, ; I was assuming this … but when they try to reassure me “it will not privatize the schools”. I get highly skeptical…. We have another candidate running to replace Niki Tongas and he said to us “we will not privatize the schools.” I need to ask him more about this strategy but I thanked him for his statement. Candidate is Rufus Gifford (from Obama administration)
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Liz Farmer reference. http://www.governing.com/week-in-finance/gov-finance-roundup-tax-reform-opportunity-zones.html
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http://www.mcafeetaft.com/tax-reform-act-is-creating-incentives-in-lowincome-opportunity-zones perhaps one of the first side effects? consequences (intended). is that we are trying to replace Niki Tongas and the people who are running to fill that seat in the House of Representatives are many (12). The Boston real estate people are pouring money into the campaign of Dan Koh one of the candidates and I would not be surprised if they are moving to capitalize on this “incentive”
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Apart from the politics in Massachusetts, I wonder if these opportunity zones also account for the new charter school rhetoric and political game…much hoopla about “charter school deserts.” https://edexcellence.net/charter-school-deserts
And of course the “opportunity zones,” also make it “possible for investors to mine for diamonds” with social impact bonds—financial products designed to cherry pick participants and stick taxpayers with a bill if the “targets” for participants are met.
So far, favored SIBS address preschool and efforts to stop or reduce recidivism. United Way programs are candidates for profit-seeking will appearing to do good.
http://www.sibreview.com/…/investors-mine-for-diamonds-in-your-own-backyard-the-hill
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thanks Laura; I will have to look up the “mine for diamonds”….. Rikers had a “social impact” study that was closed. Vera Institute of Justice did an evaluation.
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MA already had a “social impact” program….. this is what I am finding today (I presume they are using the “incentives” options from the tax bill that was passed ). they call it “bipartisan” but so was NCLB called “bipartisan”.
“The Project Here Substance Use Prevention Curriculum Grant will provide selected middle schools funding to implement one of three evidence-based prevention curricula: Botvin LifeSkills Training, Michigan Model for Health, or Positive Action. These options were selected to provide schools with curricula that are proven to positively impact students’ behavior, while allowing them flexibility to choose a program that will best meet their school and community needs. Recognizing that some schools may already have an evidence-based program that they wish to supplement, the grant program allows schools to apply for a supplemental evidence-based curriculum of their choice.”
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> > > Dear Dr. Ravitch, > > May I have your thoughts on Austin Beutner¹s appointment to the LAUSD > position. > In hopes of being of some benefit I¹m sending him a brief congratulations/how > can I support? note. > Thank you. > > Robin Doyno > (310) 467-7244 > > (I am an ordinary Los Angeles person who is none too happy about charters. I > am also a chair of the Education, Arts and Culture Committee of the Mar Vista > Community Council) > > > > > > > dianeravitch posted: ” Christine Langhoff, retired teacher in Massachusetts, > writes: The big news of the week of course, was the ruling by the MA Supreme > Judicial Court that the cap on charters is constitutional. Coverage in the > putative newspaper of reco” > Respond to this post by replying above this line > New post on Diane Ravitch’s blog > > > Reader: What the Boston Globe Did Not Say About Massachusetts Charters > bout-massachusetts-charters/> > by dianeravitch > > Christine Langhoff, retired teacher
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I think it is sad that LAUSD hired a totally unqualified person to be superintendent of schools for the district.
It shows disrespect for educators, for kids, and for the district.
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I would like to commission a poem from Some Dam Poet. …. we have the Merrimack River which runs through our city and empties into the Atlantic. On one side of the River we built a Taj Mahal school and the other side has poor little yet to be refurbished falling down school.
Something that would have. “urban blight”. “white flight”?
And I would borrow the title from a children’s book. “My name is Jose on both sides of the River”.
Or, you could use a title (for Civil War buffs) like Monitoring the Merrimack because it is the Merrimack River.
But now the “investment” zone makes possible the gentrification of some of the older buildings…. and I just can’t wait to see what they do to our schools and students (sarcasm intended). (See the policies above that are written into the 1% Tax Bill and the fact that the Fair Share Amendment is in the courts — “if we have a tax on the wealth, the billionaires will leave the state.” But , Bob Kraft will maybe give you a ride in his private plane.
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this is what it looks like on the ground Worcester, Springfield, and now the poverty areas in our Gateway. cities. Arne Duncan was selling “the Lawrence Model”. and now we have the Springfield innovation hub model….. http://www.telegram.com/news/20180509/worcester-educators-look-to-springfield-model-as-they-refine-incubation-hub-proposal?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=GHM_Daily_NL%20-%20Pre%20Fix&utm_content=GTDT_WTG
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